redskins.com: Rabach is New Center of Attention

[RedskinPride27]

http://www.redskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=7770

Rabach Is New Center of Attention

By Casey Husband

Redskins.com

July 1, 2005

As any offensive lineman will tell you, it's a big change when you switch teams.

Casey Rabach, late of the Baltimore Ravens and now a first-year Redskin, is trying to get to that point where he feels continuity with his new teammates.

Rabach explained the process this way, at the close of the Redskins mini-camp on June 19: "Those guys have to learn to trust me, and vice versa. We're getting there. We've made a lot of progress. We'll be there when the bell rings on opening day."

The 6-4, 301-pound Rabach, says head coach Joe Gibbs, "fits in perfectly for us. He's a talented addition."

A fifth-year NFL player out of Wisconsin, Rabach is expected to step in as the starter for veteran Cory Raymer, who is still highly-regarded among Redskins coaches.

That means one Wisconsin center for another. Consider that the Cowboys' starter at center, Al Johnson, is also a former Badger, and maybe you can spot a trend.

Says Joe Bugel: "Casey comes out of an outstanding program for offensive linemen, and centers in particular, at Wisconsin. Casey did a great job the past couple of years at Baltimore, at center or guard, whatever they needed him to play.

"He and Raymer set the whole thing up on the offensive line. They're both really smart, and they have an outstanding work ethic. Those are the type of guys you're happy to call Redskins. You just want them on your team.

"Both of those guys can give you a lot at the center position. Casey's a lot younger and we expect that he'll be our starter."

The thing that has impressed Rabach the most in the early going? It's the quarterback.

"The thing about Patrick Ramsey is that he's such a confident player," Rabach says. "Obviously, I've only been around him for a few months. But what I see in Patrick is confidence.

"He has the attitude that he'll step up and be a leader for this team. That's what you need out of that position."

Rabach started 15 games at center and one at left guard for Baltimore a year ago. He helped pave the way for Jamal Lewis's third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season and helped the Ravens' offense compile more than 2,000 rushing yards on the season.

The Redskins snapped him up this spring on the first day of free agency, which means that he'll be blocking for a different type of running back in 2005.

"Like all the great backs, Clinton [Portis] has outstanding vision," Rabach says. "And like all those Miami guys, he's extremely confident. No matter what the situation, you'll never see him get down on himself or the team.

"As far as making the change from Baltimore to the Redskins, it doesn't really effect my technique, switching from blocking for Jamal Lewis to blocking for Clinton. I'll be asked to do pretty much the same thing I did in Baltimore. We ran a power game for Jamal Lewis, and he's a great cutback runner. Here, with Clinton, he's more of a slasher, with more speed and with more of an ability to make tacklers miss."

Rabach and his new teammates will visit Baltimore for a scrimmage Aug. 6 and for a pre-season game Sept. 1. He still has a lot of friends in the Baltimore organization, of course, but that aspect of his NFL career is in the past tense.

"Coming here, to play for the Redskins, I get to play for two coaching legends, in Joe Gibbs and Joe Bugel," says Rabach. "I'm aware of that, and I really believe it. You couldn't ask for much more, with those coaches and all the tradition around the Redskins and the Hogs. Any offensive lineman should want to come here to play ball."

Adds Rabach: "Bugel's incredible. He works you so hard, because he cares about his players and the Redskins so much. We'll have a good season here. I know it. I'm certain of it. This is going to be fun."

Gibbs and Bugel like Rabach's versatility, which dates back to his college days at Wisconsin. He garnered All-Big 10 Conference first-team honors at two different positions: center in 1999 and guard in 2000.

He continued to play both positions after being drafted by the Ravens in the third round (92nd overall) in 2001.

"Casey's only been in the league four years and he did a heck of a job at left guard for the Ravens and he did a heck of a job at center," Bugel said. "When you get someone available like that, you better jump on him. He's going to be a good offensive lineman for us."

[TXREDSKINS44]

Originally posted by RedskinPride27

The thing that has impressed Rabach the most in the early going? It's the quarterback.

"The thing about Patrick Ramsey is that he's such a confident player," Rabach says. "Obviously, I've only been around him for a few months. But what I see in Patrick is confidence.

"He has the attitude that he'll step up and be a leader for this team. That's what you need out of that position."

Man it seems like all the article I have read, the players are saying that Ramsey is very confident. This is great news!!

[TXREDSKINS44]

Originally posted by RedskinPride27

http://www.redskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=7770The thing that has impressed Rabach the most in the early going? It's the quarterback.

"The thing about Patrick Ramsey is that he's such a confident player," Rabach says. "Obviously, I've only been around him for a few months. But what I see in Patrick is confidence.

"He has the attitude that he'll step up and be a leader for this team. That's what you need out of that position."

Man it seems like all the article I have read, the players are saying that Ramsey is very confident. This is great news!!

[Fifty Gut]

so so so so so happy we replaced Raymer

[autographcollector]

Originally posted by TXREDSKINS44

Man it seems like all the article I have read, the players are saying that Ramsey is very confident. This is great news!!

Lets hope the o-line plays better than last year and ramsey will be fine....otherwise....

[dg28daman]

With Rabach, our line should be dominant, and give up less sacks, which shold make Ramsey more confident.

[Cool Hand Loki]

Originally posted by Gfunk703

so so so so so happy we replaced Raymer

Blown back on every play...so happy we replaced him

[ntotoro]

Good to hear Rabach buying into the system, the coaches and the team as a whole so quickly and so absolutely. This is only a good thing. Jansen was the first to do that last year and having him back will be another plus.

Nick

[illone]

Wait, you mean we actually addressed an area of need with a quality free agent, and we didn't Mortgage our future on him?

Someone alert the media;)

[wskin44]

Originally posted by illone

Wait, you mean we actually addressed an area of need with a quality free agent, and we didn't Mortgage our future on him?

Someone alert the media;)

Not just an area of need, but a huge hole that was holding the whole offense back. The press isn't paying attention. I hope they wager their farms against us.

[illone]

Originally posted by wskin44

Not just an area of need, but a huge hole that was holding the whole offense back. The press isn't paying attention. I hope they wager their farms against us.

Me too. I'll be the guy at the other end collecting;)

[RunRiggoRun]

I am not positive but I believe I read somewhere there John Clayton while reviewing our offseason said with the addition of Rabach, if our line stays healthy it will be the best in the East, and I agree as long as they gather confidence with each other like Rabach said and promised they would.

Rabach = best offseason move in my opinion by far

[Truant]

The mainstream media is totally clueless to how important this pickup is.

Rabach is an important part of infusing this team with confidence. Can't wait to see it all come together in the 'worst offseason in history'.

[FARAPS]

jyasjtra i cant wait for the season to be here!!!!!

[lame]

Originally posted by wskin44

The press isn't paying attention. I hope they wager their farms against us.

Yeah, blah blah blah. We hear it every offseason. We'll see what's going on in November.

[RunRiggoRun]

Lame, we dont hear this every offseason, we usually are being built up by the media every offseason, not put down, so that is why people on this site are starting to get excited.

[CHUBAKAH]

Originally posted by lame

Yeah, blah blah blah. We hear it every offseason. We'll see what's going on in November.

Agreed. Talk is cheap....

[Blade]

Originally posted by Truant

The mainstream media is totally clueless to how important this pickup is.

Rabach is an important part of infusing this team with confidence. Can't wait to see it all come together in the 'worst offseason in history'.

I believe Karl Swanson (perhaps it was someone else) mentioned this in one of his interviews: Only one guy from media got it right regarding free agency this year: Joe White from the AP. He got it right last year too regarding the free agency moves.

Most of them are, however, clueless.

[VaSkinsNut]

Originally posted by TXREDSKINS44

Man it seems like all the article I have read, the players are saying that Ramsey is very confident. This is great news!!

Well this is definately good news but I'm sure Ramsey would exude more confidence than Boller lol

[lame]

Originally posted by Truant

The mainstream media is totally clueless to how important this pickup is.

Can't wait to see it all come together in the 'worst offseason in history'.

I don't understand why Redskin fans never seem to understand (or at least acknowledge) this very simple concept:

It's not the players you pick up. It's the players you lose VERSUS the players you pick up.

There is not one other team in the entire NFL - not one - who has lost it's best player or very important player from its roster so many years in the row like the Redskins:

First it was Brad Johnson who literally was the reason why the Redskins had one successful season in the past 12 or so years. He later went on to be a Pro Bowler for Tampa and lead them to their only Super Bowl victory.

Then it was Stephen Davis who later went on to be a Pro Bowler and help lead the Panthers to the Super Bowl.

Then it was Champ Bailey - a righly regarded player who, more importantly, plays a position of major significance in the league.

And now if you named the top 8 players off the Redskins roster a year ago - I would tell you 3 of them are gone and 2 others futures are hanging up in the air (Arrington still injured, taking his employer to arbritation - yeah, that will go over "well" regardless of the outcome.....and S. Taylor who doesn't seem to care about football and might not need to soon).

But, ahh, yes, you signed a center. Good for you.

You cannot keep losing THEE key member from your team every single year.

But let at the record every year. Truth is in the record.

See you when it COUNTS - see you in November

[RunRiggoRun]

to Lame:

First off, you must be a Eagles or Cowboys fan.

Second the one and only true thing you said was that Davis was a huge loss, but Brad Johnson was nothing without Davis so I dont know why he was such a big loss there, so you are wrong.

Third, you are talking about loss Vs. gains, we lost bailey, and gained Springs (10x better year last year) and also gained Portis 1300 yards.

and here are the top 8 in no order from last year.

Portis, Washington, Cooley, Griffin, Springs, Pierce, Taylor, Coles

Lost Two: Pierce ( On our D, you can plug anyone in, it is all about GW system) : Coles (replaced with a younger version of himself)

We WILL see you in "DECEMBER"

[Luca Brasi]

Originally posted by lame

I don't understand why Redskin fans never seem to understand (or at least acknowledge) this very simple concept:

It's not the players you pick up. It's the players you lose VERSUS the players you pick up.

It's similar to how I can't understand why fans of other teams spend so much time on this board. We are obsessed with our team and we will always remain positive. Are you obsessed with our team too? Is that why you're here?

If you really want to make the argument that we didn't 'add' more than we lost with the Portis/Bailey trade, I think you would find yourself proved wrong in an embarrassing fashion.

[Cool Hand Loki]

Thanks for coming out, lame.

[VaSkinsNut]

Originally posted by lame

I don't understand why Redskin fans never seem to understand (or at least acknowledge) this very simple concept:

It's not the players you pick up. It's the players you lose VERSUS the players you pick up.

There is not one other team in the entire NFL - not one - who has lost it's best player or very important player from its roster so many years in the row like the Redskins:

First it was Brad Johnson who literally was the reason why the Redskins had one successful season in the past 12 or so years. He later went on to be a Pro Bowler for Tampa and lead them to their only Super Bowl victory.

Then it was Stephen Davis who later went on to be a Pro Bowler and help lead the Panthers to the Super Bowl.

Then it was Champ Bailey - a righly regarded player who, more importantly, plays a position of major significance in the league.

And now if you named the top 8 players off the Redskins roster a year ago - I would tell you 3 of them are gone and 2 others futures are hanging up in the air (Arrington still injured, taking his employer to arbritation - yeah, that will go over "well" regardless of the outcome.....and S. Taylor who doesn't seem to care about football and might not need to soon).

But, ahh, yes, you signed a center. Good for you.

You cannot keep losing THEE key member from your team every single year.

But let at the record every year. Truth is in the record.

See you when it COUNTS - see you in November

Sorry but your theory just doesn't hold up. If you compare the guys who came in vs the guys we lost you'll see that Gibbs has done a great job with getting rid of the garbage on this team.

Benard Holsey < Cornelius Griffin

Lional Dalton < Joe Salve'a

Champ Bailey< Shawn Springs (Springs made more plays last year than Camp ever did here...oh and he's sucked since he left)

Trung Candidate < Clinton Portis

Peppi Zellner < Ron Warner

Reagan Upshaw < Demetric Evans

Zeron Flemister < Chris Cooley

Iffey Ohelete < Sean Taylor

Brian Barker < Tom Tupa

We had upgrades across the board. And that's just a quick, from memory, sample.

Now you're saying we lost 3 key guys. But hello...we acquired 3.

Santana Moss

David Patten

Casey Rabach

The 2 WR's we signed were NFL leaders in YAC (tells you something). Something neither WR could do last year.

And btw...its not a few players who win or loose for you. That's why there's this concept of football teams. Your only as strong as your weakest link. Anyone else like the depth players we've acquired lately? :cheers

[flexxskins]

Originally posted by Skindrodamus

to Lame:

First off, you must be a Eagles or Cowboys fan.

Second the one and only true thing you said was that Davis was a huge loss, but Brad Johnson was nothing without Davis so I dont know why he was such a big loss there, so you are wrong.

Third, you are talking about loss Vs. gains, we lost bailey, and gained Springs (10x better year last year) and also gained Portis 1300 yards.

and here are the top 8 in no order from last year.

Portis, Washington, Cooley, Griffin, Springs, Pierce, Taylor, Coles

Lost Two: Pierce ( On our D, you can plug anyone in, it is all about GW system) : Coles (replaced with a younger version of himself)

We WILL see you in "DECEMBER"

Nicely put.